MINI-NATION: The Indoctrination of a Lifetime.

By
Michael J. LockhartMay 17, 2012

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Years ago I lived down the street from a genuinely pleasant middle-aged couple who counted their Dalmatian canines as children, lived modestly, and would spend their weekends at either their sprawling ranch-like farm or a secluded chalet in the wilderness. Both commanded decent salaries, which allowed them to read the financial papers without worry, take exciting vacations, and maintain their multiple properties. As for the car of choice for these well-to-do suburban-dwellers — it wasn’t a Mercedes or BMW, nor Audi or Lexus. The car sitting outside in the driveway was none other than a bright red MINI Cooper, complete with Dalmatian print–lined seats.

Welcome to the fascinating world of the MINI owner.

Last weekend I was invited to attend the MINI UNITED festival in France. The festival, now in its fourth iteration, is the world’s largest gathering of owners and fans that come together for a weekend of racing, live concerts, and partying. I knew there were fans of the car; I just didn’t expect the craziness in store for me.

The premise was laid out: meet in Munich, capital of Bavarian Motor Works (BMW) and home of the corporate offices of MINI, with the international press teams and drive to the festival in Le Castellet, France. Along the way we would pass through Austria, Switzerland and Italy. I was confident enough; MINI had assured me that an automatic vehicle would be available for U.S. journalists, who can’t drive the “proper way.”

As we lined up to receive our vehicles, I was told that it wasn’t possible to have an automatic. Inconvenient? Not horribly. This was an excellent chance to build on the solid foundation of manual driving practice I had under my belt: 30 minutes or so, the weekend before. My first challenge: a taupe, red-topped MINI Clubman John Cooper Works.

Upon taking the wheel, I began to get a feel for the clutch under my foot and the shifter permanently glued to the inside of my hand. It wasn’t until the Swiss border when I had my first real challenge, learning how to stop without stalling. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Despite the toll road traffic that saw my car stall close to two dozen times in the span of a mile (I blame the stop-and-go traffic; I believe my guide blames it on my light pedal foot), we arrived at our first pit stop in Milan.

“MINI attracts a psychographic, not a demographic.”

– Jim McDowell, CEO MINI USA

The next morning we switched cars and I took the wheel of a Classic MINI for the first time. Despite the leaps and bounds in technology, size and assumed modernity between it and its successor, I was still comfortable taking control of the four-speeder and pushing it past the 100 mph mark, though the shaking can only be described as the feeling on your hands while riding a rollercoaster. Continuing past Torino and into the foothills of France, our convoy of mismatched MINIs darted along the roads in an adventurous game of hide-and-seek.

It was only when I first got honked at coming through Marseille that I realized we weren’t the only MINIs on the road. No, when I took a good look around I started to notice MINIs appearing in droves — some in groups, some alone — honking and waving, shouting and cheering. I think the most unsettling thing for me at that moment was the realization that these were perfect strangers to me, and to my best guess, each other. Almost disturbing, but at the same time you felt that you had just joined an exclusive club on the road — where everyone was watching.

We began our first portion of the festival with an arrival dinner hosted by MINI USA. It was here amongst the MINI owners where I got my first real taste of how the community operates and thrives.

Despite only launching in the U.S. in 2002, there are now over 450,000 MINI owners in America, and the community is thriving with mass meet-ups planned each year across the country. But how could a fledgling car culture emerge so fast in a new locale? As CEO Jim McDowell explains to me, “(the owners) are in a community that waves to each other, acknowledging that the person that they are passing on the street is a cool person that has the same type of insight, and this helped build a culture.”

McDowell tells me, “MINI attracts a psychographic, not a demographic.” This strikes me as extremely odd, in rabid fan kind of way. But McDowell further explains, it’s the mindset of these MINI owners that fuels the brand and its community, and that’s what sets it apart from the other manufacturers.

One of the fans I had the chance to meet was “GP Jordan,” who was given the nickname for his purchase of two limited-edition MINI GPs. One of the cars he drives often. His second GP, however, is the real mystery. Locked away in California, it lies awaiting its chance to hit the open road. Its home? A plastic bubble constructed to preserve it until he decides otherwise.

I asked Jordan if this is for financial reasons down the road, or simply to have it on display at some point. He responds with a laugh and denies both; he’s keeping it for when he needs a fresh one to drive.

McDowell recalls an owner back in 2006, Jackie, who wanted to participate in “MINI Takes the States,” a biannual gathering of American owners crisscrossing the country. Jackie asked to take time off work to participate but was denied and could only stay for the weekend. After having the time of her life, Jackie drove back to work on Monday, promptly quit and doubled back to join the group. As Jackie’s story spread and she became a form of MINI royalty, she became inundated with job help from the thousands of owners alongside her. Two years ago, Jackie took part in the rally alongside her MINI-owning fiancé, where they wed at the trip’s conclusion in Denver, surrounded by fellow fans and owners.

Now yes, this sounds ridiculous, if not borderline crazy: to give up your career for a road trip. I would have thought so too if I had not had the opportunity to meet her myself. What I found was not a cult-inspired, MINI-tattooed fanatic chained to her car, but just an incredibly cheerful, optimistic woman happy to be part of an event alongside her husband and friends. I caught up with her at the unveiling of the new GP model on Saturday, and after chatting with her for a few minutes, I began to understand her passion for the brand, which I can liken to the spirit commonly found in hardcore sports fans. They genuinely love their teams, and like those who attend these events, they find the fan base resonance they want to be associated with.

“MINIs are socially acceptable anywhere they go.”

– Jim McDowell, CEO MINI USA

As our rep Nathalie explained candidly on the trip, MINI UNITED is much more than just a car festival. It’s about music, it’s about art and culture, but most of all, it’s about celebrating the community.

The speedway area was by far the initial favorite of the weekend. I competed head-to-head with pro rally drivers on the professional kart training center, went for a joyride on the circuit, and killed the brakes on our Countryman in MINI Parcour.

The music aspect of the festival was a mix of indie and pop rockers, trance and techno, along with a couple of soulful upbeat ensembles. Among the highlights were fledging indie-rocker Charlie Winston, whom we got the chance to sit down with and interview, heavy hitters The Ting Tings, Beth Ditto and Gossip, and the truly talented Parisian DJ Martin Solveig. The music element was a great addition, giving owners a chance to relax with a beer in hand , their faithful MINIs occupying fields as far as the eye could see.

On top of all of this were exhibitions such as the quirky “Beauty Parking,” where highly customized MINIs were shown off for the other fans. From double-ended cars to artist-inspired designs and stretch MINI limos with hot tubs, it wasn’t hard to see the financial love some owners were willing to show to their cars.

As I boarded the plane home, my thoughts fell not to the track but to the owners who shared their stories, the dozens of MINI clubs who travelled en masse from across the world, and the sense of belonging that is rare to find anywhere else.

To find refuge with others who share not only your ideals but your optimistic lease on life, and of course your car, is inspiring, but to have a global company such as this support their fans, absorb the cost of events such as this and give you an experience of a lifetime? Now that is special. I have to admit it, MINI owners — you won me over.